Cast: Shraddha Kapoor, Shahid Kapoor, Divyendu Sharma and Yami Gautami

Director: Shree Narayan Singh

mango Bollywood Rating; 3 stars on 5 stars

From the very beginning, Shree Narayan Singh has established himself as a director who brings causes to the silver screen. Just like with Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Singh works with the leads of Batti Gul Meter Chalu to tell the story of a village seeped in troubles with electricity.

Batti Gul Meter Chalu maps the journey of three friends (Shahid, Shraddha and Divyendu) and how each one has to make a life changing choice through the course of the film. What makes them so interesting individually is how diagonally different the three are. One is a thrifty lawyer (Shahid Kapoor,) the other is a business man who lives only by the rules (Divyendu Sharma,) while the third is an  fashion designer (Shraddha Kapoor.)

The trio are the life of Garwal, a village in Uttarakhand, making everyone around them green with envy. Just like every story involving two guys and a girl, a love triangle is but inevitable. Both SK (Shahid Kapoor) and Sundar (Divyendu) love Lalita (Shraddha,) making matters complicated by each of them professing their love to her in over the top ways.

Things quickly turn ugly when Lalita has to make the tough choice between the two men in her life. In the midst of this confusing love triangle, Lalita’s electricity bill keeps getting inflating beyond expectation. The first half of this film seems tried and tested, with little or no importance given to the issue of inflated electricity bills. Singh builds up the love triangle to a point, only to resolve it by having one of the two men jumping into the Ganga (thank God!) While you are still trying to grasp with the terms of only one love story to deal with, the second half of the film jumps head on into the real issue (electricity and how inflated bills affect the common man.)

Singh has more than established himself as a man who deals with social causes. As leads, Shahid, Divyendu, Shraddha and Yami Gautam all do really well, making us want to connect with the story not just on a superficial level, but on a personal front as well. Watch Batti Gul Meter Chalu not because of the sappy love triangle, but because of the way people need to stand up and take notice of what goes on in the other parts of the world!

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India recently passed a law which said Section 377 is no longer valid and that love no longer has any gender boundaries. Simply put, people who fall in love with those belonging to the same sex are no longer liable to prosecution and can do what their heart desires. While this in itself is a commendable move, it is only fit that we take a look at Bollywood films which showcased love over boundaries long before this act was abolished. Check out these films here!

1. Margarita With A Straw 

Margarita With A Straw, directed by Shonali Bose and starring Kalki Koechlin, broke not one but two stereotypes. The film not only explored love between Kalki and her partner, it also showed how it was possible to love despite being diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Bose addressed this issue with subtlety, giving everyone goals like never before.

2. Aligarh 

Aligarh, directed by Hansal Mehta and starring Rajkummar Rao and Manoj Bajpai, addresses the story of how a professor gets suspended from college because of his gender preferences. A representation of the struggles people in the country go through for doing the unexpected, Aligarh is a film that people need to watch to understand the life of the repressed.

3. My Brother Nikhil 

My Brother Nikhil, directed by Onir, explores the sexuality of a man and about how he was affected with AIDS. This film explored both these situations at a time when both homosexuality and AIDS were a huge taboo! My Brother Nikhil brought to the fore the struggles of Nikhil and how only his sister helped him through the most difficult times of his life. A must watch for people to realise what happens when others are pushed into a corner.

4. Fire 

Deepa Mehta’s Fire addressed two serious issues at the same time: homosexuality and family discord. Both Shabhana Azmi and Nandita Das are stuck in marriages that are not working and in the middle of this imbalance, love starts blossoming. Trouble starts brewing when they want to be together and society goes against this “unholy” union. A bold take on love beyond boundaries, FIre puts forth the troubles one does not expect.

5. Bombay Talkies 

Bombay Talkies, a culmination of several stories by several directors, stands out primarily because of one particular story from the film: Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh by Karan Johar. Showing the story of a married couple (Vidya Balan and Randeep Hooda,) this particular story talks about how despite being a part of the media world, people are still averse to the idea of homosexuality. Some even say this is a take on Karan Johar’s personal life and when you watch it, you realise this could actually be the story of an everyday family man!

With India embracing the issue of homosexuality, it is now time for our directors to tell these stories! If you think we missed out on any films like these, comment and let us know!

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Cast: Mrunal Thakur, Adil Hussain, Manoj Bajpayee, Richa Chadha, Freida Pinto, Rajkummar Rao, Demi Moore

Director: Tabrez Noorani

Mango Bollywood Rating: 3 stars on 5 stars

What is more haunting? A girl with no name lost in a city with a haunting dark side or a village with no identification except for being located 1,400 kms North of Mumbai? When you belong to such a non descriptive village, you get lost in the throngs of poverty, extortion, death, murder and prostitution.

Love Sonia, Tabrez Noorani’s extremely brave directorial, brings to the fore just these issues, addressing every one of them with an iron fist. The film tells the raw, unfiltered story of a teenage girl sold into the relentless and world of the flesh trade when her family cannot afford to make their ends meet.

Love Sonia is Tabrez Noorani’s brave directorial which makes you wonder what is more haunting, a girl with no name girl with no name lost in a city with a haunting dark side, or a village with no identification, except for being located 1,400 km., north of Mumbai?  The movie brings to the fore when you belong to such a non descriptivevillage, you get lost in the throngs of poverty, extortion, death, murder and prostitution. 

While the story seems to highlight the plight of the two sisters (the ones who form the crux of the story,) what hits you the hardest is not their fight against evil, but the anonymity of the entire situation. Without too much regard to the harsh realities of the flesh trade, Tabrez Noorani gives us direct access into what really goes on in the world of flesh world.

What makes this particular film so appealing is the cracked mirror viewpoint it represents. You could either look at the story (inspired by real life events of so many girls like Sonia) as a brilliantly told tale with minor flaws; or you could look at the story as an extremely flawed tale. As Sonia searches for her sister lost in the maze of Mumbai’s underworld, she discovers several women lost to the profession (Richa Chhada‘s and Frieda Pinto’s characters.)

This brings to light the fact that Love Sonia aims at highlighting the plight of not just one lost girl, but several girls with no future to their name. While Mrunal Thakur makes a flawless debut as Sonia in this film, the premise of the story is slightly lacking.

Despite having a hard hitting story, the movie fails to leave you with a provocative after thought. Instead of using an over whelming dose of fear to tell his tale, Noorani could have woven together multiple layers, giving us the idea that there is something bigger happening (which there actually is.) A story told over and over again, Love Sonia is fresh in the sense that it wants you to listen to the fear and voice your outrage with silent anger, rather than with momentary anger. Watch the film for the perfect mix of actors, story rendition and raw cinematography.

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Cast: Abhishek Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal

Director: Anurag Kashyap

mango Bollywood rating: 3.5 stars on 5 stars

Manmarziyaan can be termed as Anurag Kashyap’s first ever directorial that does not come filled with murder, angst and betrayal. A love story at its roots, this film establishes Kashyap as an extremely versatile and very connected to reality director.

Every love story in Bollywood centers around a love triangle, or that is what we have been taught to believe over the years. Anurag Kashyap being who he is, twists this tired and tested tale into a coming of age story, giving us an insight into love through the eyes of a millennial.

For love triangles to work, there are two people at the center with a silent, third party observer. In Manmarziyaan, Rumi (Taapsee Pannu) and Vicky (Vicky Kaushal) love the way we, as the young wild and free, love. One of them wants to settle down, while the other has no real intentions of going down the road of society expectations. No guesses on who falls in what category here, right?

Things seem fine for a while for the much in love couple, till the doors of the bedroom open to the public (the parents in this case.) While Vicky is lauded for being everything society expects him to be, Rumi is forced to stick to the straight road by her parents. Get married to Vicky or we will find a boy for you, tell Rumi’s very angry parents. Into the picture comes Abhishek Bachchan (Robbie.)

In an ideal world, Robbie would have been what every girl would have wanted. Respectful, down to earth and armed with the perfect job in hand, Robbie came with one thing not going for him. He was not Vicky and Rumi could not have that. Unfortunately for Rumi, this was just the strength Robbie played with and used to his advantage! Quite a complicated little bundle here, right?

The dialogue delivery is raw, real and even disturbing at times. The confrontation scene, where Rumi singles out Vicky and his disregard for marriage, makes you connect to Rumi all the more. What breaks one’s heart in this entire film is how Robbie realises he is only a bystander in the beginning and works his way into Rumi’s heart toward the second half. This part, more than any other scene through the film, tells us there is a strong chance of a happy ending in life if you talk through your problems and sort out issues head on, when they happen.

At the end of the day, while Manmarziyaan does not have murder and a Nawazuddin Siddiqui tied up together in a neat little bundle, it still is a Kashyap film in and out! Every frame has been shot beautifully, with the aesthetics playing out beautifully. As a comeback movie, Abhishek Bachchan could not have picked a better story, while the unique combination of Vicky Kaushal and Taapsee Pannu is quite refreshing. A definite must watch if you are looking for something new and different!

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2.0, the highly anticipated flick starring Rajnikanth and Akshay Kumar, just got bigger, better and brighter! The makers of this much awaited film just dropped the first teaser and oh my god, get ready to have your pants blown off!

Presenting the much awaited #2Point0Teaser. Prepare yourself for this magnum opus, an adventure you’ll never forget. @karanjohar @apoorvamehta18 @rajinikanth @akshaykumar @shankarshanmugh @LycaProductions @arrahman #2Point0 https://t.co/hTfG2NXyRn

— Dharma Productions (@DharmaMovies) September 13, 2018

The slightly longer than one minute teaser gives us a sneak peak into the film and tells us what we can expect from the second installment of the Robot series! The teaser begins with a shot of crows circling the skies, which is soon taken over by a whole hoard of cell phones?

If you are as confused as we are by this point, then worry not, because as you go a little more into the teaser, you realise there is a fight of sorts coming soon! All the cellphones start disappearing, only to land in the bedroom of who looks like the villain in the film. While the residents are shocked at what happened, the higher ups are not able to discover what really is going on.

The administration, chaired by Adil Hussain, meets to come together for a solution and finally realise the one person who can help them all is none other than Chitti, the Robot! This marks the introduction scene of Rajnikanth and Akshay Kumar and from then on, there is nothing but pure magic on the screen! Intense action sequences, amazing to and fro scenes and music by A.R Rahman makes this teaser extremely exciting. Without further ado, here is giving you all a look at the mind blowing teaser of 2.0!

Marking the debut of Akshay Kumar in the world of Tamil cinema, 2.0 also features Amy Jackson, Adil Hussain and Sudhanshu Pandey in key roles. The film is scheduled to hit the screens on 29 November this year so do not forget to go watch it on the big screens when this sequel releases!

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